George Bertram Cockburn
Encyclopedia
George Bertram Cockburn OBE
(8 January 1872 – 25 February 1931) was a research chemist who became an aviation pioneer. He represented Great Britain in the first international air race at Rheims and co-founded the first aerodrome for the army at Larkhill
. He also trained the first four pilots of what was to become the Fleet Air Arm
. During World War I
he worked as a Government Inspector of Aeroplanes for the Royal Flying Corps
at Farnborough
and subsequently became Head of the Accidents Branch of the Department of the Controller-General of Civil Aviation
at the Air Ministry
.
provisions merchant, and his second wife Katherine Jessie Stitt (née Bertram). Both his parents having previously been widowed, he had four older half siblings from his parents' first marriages – John Scott Cockburn, Ada Cockburn, Mary Cockburn and Katie Stitt. The family lived across the River Mersey
at Lingdale Lodge, Shrewsbury Road in Oxton
, Birkenhead
.
Several earlier generations of the Cockburn family had lived in Inveresk
south east of Edinburgh
. However, George Cockburn (Senior), who had travelled south to seek his fortune, had become sufficiently prosperous to be able to send both his sons to be educated at fee paying schools in Scotland
. John, who became a Presbyterian
minister, attended Edinburgh Academy
then Glasgow University and George (Junior) was sent to Loretto School
in Musselburgh
from 1887 until 1892.
In October 1892 Bertram Cockburn entered New College, Oxford
to read Natural Sciences specialising in Chemistry
. He graduated in 1895.
he went to the Chemistry Laboratory of St George's Hospital
in London to work with John Addyman Gardner on the study of fenchones. Between 1897 and 1898 they jointly published four papers in the Journal of the Chemical Society
. In 1899 Bertram Cockburn published a fifth paper on fencholenic acids independently of Gardner. By this time, he had received his BSc.
His father died in 1893 while he was at Oxford and, by 1901, he had returned to Birkenhead to live with his widowed mother and unmarried sister Mary. Following the death of his mother in 1903, they sold the family home and moved to Taynton in Gloucestershire
.
and, later that year, travelled to France to become the first pupil in Henri Farman's flying school at Châlons-sur-Marne. He made his first flight in June of that year and took part in the first international air race at Rheims in August. He represented Great Britain in competing for the Gordon Bennett Cup
but unfortunately crashed into a haystack and was unable to complete the course.
He returned to Britain with a Farman III
biplane and, on April 26 of the following year, he received Royal Aero Club
certificate number 5. By this time he was resident at St Mary Bourne
near Andover, Hampshire
. In June 1910, he won a prize of £100 in the 'Quick Starting' Competition at the Wolverhampton
Air Meet .
Although he actively promoted air races as an incentive to develop improvements in aircraft performance, he never flew competitively again following the death of his friend Charles Rolls
at Bournemouth
. In 1912 he became a founder member of the Royal Aero Club's Public Safety and Accidents Investigation Committee.
. From here he and other aviators gave private instruction in flying to army officers. By 1910, he and Captain JBD Fulton
had founded the first aerodrome for the army. In 1911, following the death of Cecil Grace
in a flying accident, he volunteered to train the first four naval pilots at Eastchurch
on the Isle of Sheppey
. This he did free of charge while lodging with Maurice Egerton after which he returned to Larkhill.
and in 1914 was appointed to be an Inspector of Aeroplanes for the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate of the Royal Flying Corps
at Farnborough
. In the New Years Honours of 1918, he was awarded an OBE
for his services.
Shortly afterwards, he became Head of the newly established Accidents Branch
of the Department of the Controller-General of Civil Aviation, Air Ministry.
in Hampshire
at the age of 59.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(8 January 1872 – 25 February 1931) was a research chemist who became an aviation pioneer. He represented Great Britain in the first international air race at Rheims and co-founded the first aerodrome for the army at Larkhill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
. He also trained the first four pilots of what was to become the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he worked as a Government Inspector of Aeroplanes for the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
at Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
and subsequently became Head of the Accidents Branch of the Department of the Controller-General of Civil Aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
.
Early life
Bertram Cockburn was the youngest child of George Cockburn, a LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
provisions merchant, and his second wife Katherine Jessie Stitt (née Bertram). Both his parents having previously been widowed, he had four older half siblings from his parents' first marriages – John Scott Cockburn, Ada Cockburn, Mary Cockburn and Katie Stitt. The family lived across the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
at Lingdale Lodge, Shrewsbury Road in Oxton
Oxton
Oxton may refer to:*Oxton, Merseyside, England*Oxton, North Yorkshire, England*Oxton, Nottinghamshire, England*Oxton, Scottish Borders, Scotland...
, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
.
Several earlier generations of the Cockburn family had lived in Inveresk
Inveresk
Inveresk is a civil parish and was formerly a village that now forms the southern part of Musselburgh. It is situated on slightly elevated ground at the south of Musselburgh in East Lothian, Scotland...
south east of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. However, George Cockburn (Senior), who had travelled south to seek his fortune, had become sufficiently prosperous to be able to send both his sons to be educated at fee paying schools in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. John, who became a Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
minister, attended Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
then Glasgow University and George (Junior) was sent to Loretto School
Loretto School
Loretto School is an independent school in Scotland, founded in 1827. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh.-History:Loretto was founded by the Reverend Thomas Langhorne in 1827. Langhorne came from Crosby Ravensworth, near Kirkby Stephen. The school was later taken over by his son,...
in Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
from 1887 until 1892.
In October 1892 Bertram Cockburn entered New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
to read Natural Sciences specialising in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. He graduated in 1895.
Research Chemist
On leaving OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
he went to the Chemistry Laboratory of St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
in London to work with John Addyman Gardner on the study of fenchones. Between 1897 and 1898 they jointly published four papers in the Journal of the Chemical Society
Journal of the Chemical Society
The Journal of the Chemical Society was a scientific journal established by the Chemical Society in 1849 as the Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society. The journal underwent several renamings, splits, and mergers throughout its history. In 1980, the Chemical Society merged with several other...
. In 1899 Bertram Cockburn published a fifth paper on fencholenic acids independently of Gardner. By this time, he had received his BSc.
His father died in 1893 while he was at Oxford and, by 1901, he had returned to Birkenhead to live with his widowed mother and unmarried sister Mary. Following the death of his mother in 1903, they sold the family home and moved to Taynton in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Pioneer Aviator
In February 1909 Bertram Cockburn was elected to membership of the Royal Aero ClubRoyal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
and, later that year, travelled to France to become the first pupil in Henri Farman's flying school at Châlons-sur-Marne. He made his first flight in June of that year and took part in the first international air race at Rheims in August. He represented Great Britain in competing for the Gordon Bennett Cup
Gordon Bennett Cup
There were three Gordon Bennett Cups, all established by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.*Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing*Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning — for a time, a separate cup was also awarded for powered air racing...
but unfortunately crashed into a haystack and was unable to complete the course.
He returned to Britain with a Farman III
Farman III
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Opdycke, Leonard E French Aeroplanes Before the Great War Atglen, PA: Schiffer 1999 ISBN 0 7643 0752 5-External links:**...
biplane and, on April 26 of the following year, he received Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
certificate number 5. By this time he was resident at St Mary Bourne
St Mary Bourne
St Mary Bourne is small village and civil parish in northwest Hampshire. It lies in the valley of the Bourne Rivulet, a tributary of the River Test 5 miles northeast of the town of Andover.-Governance:...
near Andover, Hampshire
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
. In June 1910, he won a prize of £100 in the 'Quick Starting' Competition at the Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
Air Meet .
Although he actively promoted air races as an incentive to develop improvements in aircraft performance, he never flew competitively again following the death of his friend Charles Rolls
Charles Rolls
Charles Stewart Rolls was a motoring and aviation pioneer. Together with Frederick Henry Royce he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in a flying accident, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display near Bournemouth,...
at Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. In 1912 he became a founder member of the Royal Aero Club's Public Safety and Accidents Investigation Committee.
Trainer of Pilots
On returning from France, Bertram Cockburn devoted himself to the training of other pilots. He obtained permission from the army to rent a shed at Larkhill adjacent to Salisbury PlainSalisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
. From here he and other aviators gave private instruction in flying to army officers. By 1910, he and Captain JBD Fulton
John Fulton
John Fulton may refer to:* John P. Fulton , American special effects supervisor and cinematographer* John Fulton , American author* John H...
had founded the first aerodrome for the army. In 1911, following the death of Cecil Grace
Cecil Grace
-External links:*...
in a flying accident, he volunteered to train the first four naval pilots at Eastchurch
Eastchurch
Eastchurch is a village on the Isle of Sheppey, in the English county of Kent, two miles east of Minster.The village website claims "... it has a history steeped in stories of piracy and smugglers".- Aviation history :...
on the Isle of Sheppey
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
. This he did free of charge while lodging with Maurice Egerton after which he returned to Larkhill.
Aircraft Inspector
In 1913, as war approached, Bertram Cockburn resigned his Fellowship of the Chemical SocietyChemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
and in 1914 was appointed to be an Inspector of Aeroplanes for the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
at Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
. In the New Years Honours of 1918, he was awarded an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his services.
Shortly afterwards, he became Head of the newly established Accidents Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based on the grounds of Farnborough Airport near Aldershot, Rushmoor, Hampshire.-History:...
of the Department of the Controller-General of Civil Aviation, Air Ministry.
Family
On 12 February 1913 he married Lilian Woodhouse, daughter of a sugar broker. They had one daughter, Joan, who was born in 1914. He died at Larksborough near WhitchurchWhitchurch, Hampshire
Whitchurch is a town in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, from Newbury, Berkshire, from Winchester, miles from Andover and miles from Basingstoke. Much of the town is a Conservation Area. Because of the amount of wildlife in and near the river, parts of the town are designated as...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
at the age of 59.
External Links
- Champagne| Berceau de l'aviation du Monde(French aviation website, George Cockburn article) (*mislabeled as James Cockburn)